Once lost, now found
by lordsandmoose
Summary: Tragedy strikes. Read how things can quickly go wrong, how the loss of a loved one changes lives... and what a certain brother will do to bring down justice on those responsible.
1. Automotive ulterior motives

_A/N hello! Everybody. I am back with another story. There will be action, there will be sorrow, there will be... Death. Enjoy_!

**Chapter 1: Automotive ulterior motives**

In a particular town, in a particular neighborhood, on a particular street, walked four of the bestest friends on their way to their favorite foster home. There was Bloo, the half-pill shaped pac-man ghost of an imaginary friend always finding ways to keep the boredom at bay. Goo, the hyperactive, energetic, an all-around human battery who can churn out the most exotic imaginary friends north of timbuktu. Her toothy-minus-one-tooth grin brought rays of sunlight on any rainy day. It helped that her clothes looked like a rainbow. Next was Mac, the kind-hearted eight year old and creator of Blooreguard Q Kazoo. Intelligent and hearty, he is most commonly the voice of reason behind most problems, so long as sugar isn't a factor... He's a great friend to have at any point in time. Last, but not least, was Mac's brother: Michael. Being his praturnal twin, he is the same age as Mac, but mentally ahead of his time. He is unable to create an imaginary friend of his own, but he takes this in stride because of his brother's friend. Opposing his brother's more layered choice of attire, he opts to wear a simple green T-shirt and cargo shorts and his favorite sneakers. He is much like his brother in terms of friendliness and is always looking to help out. Together, the four friends giggled at the impossible scenarios they cooked up.

"Ok, my turn." Mac said after the laughter subsided. "Who would win; one horse-sized chicken, or five chicken-sized horses?" They all thought for a moment, Goo going the extra mile of creating six imaginary figures to represent the creatures in question, tie-dyed of course.

"That's a tricky one... Are they racing or fighting?" Bloo asked his creator.

"Fighting."

"I dunno man... I'm gonna have to go with the jumbo chicken." Michael said.

"Why do you say that, Mike?" Goo asked.

"Ever faced a chicken? I'll bet if given half a chance, chickens would take over the world." He said with a grin. This made his friends laugh.

"You got a point there." Mac said. "But still, there _are_ five horses."

"I'm gonna go with horse. They produce fast with just grass. They'd run laps around that overgrown poultry!" Bloo explained.

"Meh. I'd say the horse would win, but chicken would cheat." Goo said

"Why do you think that?" Mac replied.

"It's a chicken, they're always accused of _fowl_ play." Her wide grin stretched wider at her pun, which caused Bloo, Mac, and Mike to completely lose themselves in laughter. It got so bad that they had to physically stop walking in order to not fall all over themselves. It took a few moments to collect themselves, but they did.

"Ah... That was a good one, Goo." Bloo said as Goo smiled proudly.

"Yea, but nothing will top what Frankie said yesterday." Mac replied.

"Oh that. That was legendary! I thought ol' rabbit ears was gonna cough up his laugh box." Bloo added while snickering. As the kids neared Fosters home for imaginary friends, they noticed the clouds darken.

"Hmm... Looks like it's gonna rain soon..." Mac said.

"Yea. I guess it doesn't matter, though. We'll be inside in the warm coziness of fosters, endless board games and extreme hide-and-seek, here I come!" Goo replied with a smile. But, in spite of all the joy and merriment, they heard something... Strange, in the distance.

"...You Guys hear that?" Mike said as he cupped his ear to listen harder.

"Yea... Sounds like... Sounds like someone's driving really fast." Mac said. Sure enough, they saw a beat-up car come tearing around a corner and coming down the street they were on.

"Hmm... They're in a hurry. Let's hope nobody's hurt." Goo said.

"Maybe he's racing to the mechanic. Look, he'd probably get tetanus just by breathing near the thing." The car started picking up speed.

"Guys... Does it look like he's hugging the sidewalk... a bit too much?" They squinted to get a better look at the car.

"Nah, you're just seeing things." Bloo said.

"Uh... Are you... Sure...?" The car did look like it was close to the sidewalk... and as it got closer, it looked even more like it was.

"Guys..." Mac said. "We should probably move..." The car picked up more speed. "Guys?" The car was, indeed, on the sidewalk and was heading right towards them with no sign of stopping. Their eyes widened in horror. "We need to go!" Mac said. Goo and Bloo dove out of the way of the car, but they were the only ones who did. Mac and Mike were staring down the approaching car and only had enough time to look at each other. Mike saw in his brother's eyes, sadness, and welling tears. Mike's eyes were the same way. He tried to reach out to his brother, but he was there in an instant, gone in a flash. So was Mike's eyesight. He felt the powerful impact of the edge of the car on his side, which launched him to the ground. A warm liquid covered his face. He soon realized it was his own blood. The serrated edges of the car slashed his face, his arm and leg were both broken, but he was alive. Through the only eye that wasn't covered in his own crimson essence, he saw, to his horror, as sight no brother... No child... Nobody at all, should ever see. He dragged himself to the center of the street. At the same time, Bloo and Goo recovered and looked around. Bloo's eyes widened while Goo let out a horrible scream. Two things happened at the same time after that. First, it started to rain. And it rained hard. Second, most of fosters came out of the building to investigate the commotion. Frankie was the first outside... and oh, how she wished she was the last. She saw the scene for what it was and was immediately sick, but she choked it down and called the police. While trying to keep everyone calm. Countless other things happened in such a short time, but Mike was oh focused on one thing: The poor lump of flesh he held in his hand.

"Mac... B-brother..." Mike sniffled as tears mixed with his blood, both dripped onto the lifeless boy below him. He never stood a chance... Mike tried not to look at him, but he found it impossible. The sight of his mangled brother would haunt him for all eternity. "MAAAAAAAAC!" He screamed into the void.


	2. Goo's discovery

_A/N yep. this story is gonna be depressing. buckle up, kids. Enjoy_

**Chapter 2: Goo's discovery**

The sky was a dull grey overcast. The imidiate area was a mixture of black and white suits and dresses. The mood was a mixture of disbelief and sadness, gloom and depression. It was no small funeral, Mac's mom and older brother Terrence was there, Goo and her parents, and the better half of all of fosters, including Wilt, Edwardo, Coco, Frankie, Madame Foster, and a good chunk of imaginaru friends as well. Mr. Herriman could not come because he had to keep the peace at Fosters, but he sent his best condolences. The most surprising person to show up was none other than Mike himself, who was clad in a cast on his arm and leg, with the addition of a crutch, and bandages on his eye that wrapped around his whole head. Tears soaked the faces of everyone present. A person would need an absent heart not to. Death was tragic enough, it was even more so when the death was a child. Even more so, it was a closed-casket funeral. Not many saw the broken body of the boy, but those who did would never forget. Each of them walked up to the casket and payed their respects to the fallen child, many gave either flowers, pictures, or a trinket that reminded them of him. In no time at all his coffin was adorned in color, many thought that's what he would have wanted. But it was Goo who, natrually, added the most flair to it. She had drawn a picture consisting of her, Mac, and all the friends at Fosters in the house with tons of colors and symbols and other bits.

"M-Mac... W-why..." For the first time in her life, the poor girl was at a loss for words. Then again, what words could be said at this moment? Nothing prepares you for the death of your closest friend. She still couldn't believe it. She half-expected the chesnut haired boy to burst in and make everything all better. No car crash. No funeral. And no more sadness. Her realist side in knew, deep down, that this was impossible. That simple fact made her even sadder than before. The tears flowed freely down her face and soaked her dress. Her parents consoled her the best they could, but they weren't fairing much better. They had heard all the stories Goo would tell them of the first real friend she ever had and all the adventures they shared. They knew this was going to hit their daughter hard so the tried their best to prepare for it.

"Sweetie..." Her mom said in a soothing voice. Goo looked at her and sniffed. "He... Mac, is in a better place now." Goo shook her head stubbornly.

"No... there's no better place than here..." Goo replied while sniffling.

"Now Goo, you shouldn't-" Her father began, but she quickly stood up and shouted.

"No! He belongs here! Not in that box! He was my best friend and I want him back!" Her parents tried their best to calm her down, but to no avail. When others tried to comfort her, she tore away and raced off. "Goo! Stop!" Her fathers words were a blur. She shook her head and covered her ears as she ran blindly. She ran, and ran, and ran until her legs felt like lead. At that point, she ducked into a nearby alley and slumped down against a wall. She sniffled and sobbed there for the longest time. She remembered all the good times she had with Mac, all the fun they had, memories they made. She dwelled on these thoughts, and they only made her sadder. She was suddenly ripped from her thoughts when she felt a light tapping on her arm. Her head shot up and she was placed face-to-face with a certain little boy with brown hair and a red shirt. It was Mac, alive and well!

"Goo..." He said softly. Goo should have been elated. She should have been happy for her best friend's survival. Except... she knew this was not her best friend. The boy she knew was lying mangled in a wooden box who-knows-how-far away. No, this was just a cheap carbon copy. A knockoff. An imaginary friend. Point of fact was, she was horrified: Not by his presence, but because...

"I imagined you..." She said in shock and disbelief. Mac winced at those words.

"I... I guess you did..." He replied. Goo started to panic.

"What have I done... What will I do?" She said. Mac tried to calm her down, which only freaked her out more.

"S-stop! You're not helping! You're... dead..." She said as fresh tears soaked her face. Mac again winced.

"I... I..." He shook his head. "That doesn't matter. I... I might not be me, but... You're still my friend... I can't see you like this." He said with genuine care. He truly was a carbon copy...

"I... T-thank you..." She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly, they heard two sets of footsteps and some familiar voices. It was Goo's mom and dad. They walked passed the alley she was in and heard the sniffling. They looked in and immediately saw the conundrum.

"Oh... oh my word..." Her mom said as she covered her mouth. The next few minutes were confusing and equally conflicting. Ultimately, it boiled down to what should they do with Mac?

"We need to tell his family." Goo's dad said. Mac's eyes immediately went wide.

"No! You can't do that!" He replied. Goo's dad asked why. "Because! I'm..." He struggled for a word that was better than what he wanted to say. He quickly gave up and hung his head. "An abomination... They'd hate me." He said.

"Then... What about fosters? They take in imaginary friends." Goo's mom suggested

"That wouldn't work either. They were just as much my family." The confliction grew. What were they going to do with him? Just then, Goo got an idea.

"Mom... Dad..." She started "Can he live with us?" Her parents looked at her for a moment.

"Honey... Goo... We can't just..." Her dad began.

"Dad! Please! He's got no where else to go! W-what about my self-esteem? My confidence? All that stuff?!" Goo was pushing her dad against a wall. He looked to his wife for support but found none. She had an air-tight case. He rubbed his eyes and groaned a bit. "Alright... But you have to understand, life isn't going to be the same anymore." Goo nodded and looked at Mac.

"So... What do you think?" She asked. Mac thought for a moment. He felt... dirty... he felt like a fake and an intruder, but he didn't have any other options. It was either live with Goo or live on the street. It was an easy choice for him in the end.

"Ok... If you guys will take me." They nodded and quickly ushered him into their car. As Goo's dad made phone calls telling everyone that they found Goo, Mac looked out the window and wondered... what was this life going to be like?


	3. A new life

_A/N Hello everyone! What do you think of the story so far? I love feed back. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 3: A new life**

Five years after the crash. Five years since her world was torn apart. A lot has changed since then. She, for example, wasn't as random and erratic as she once was. She was calmer, cooler, and a bit more collected. There was the random spats where her inner child came back out, but that didn't bother her one bit. However, her biggest change was without a doubt her life. After so long, she had a new one. One she was content with. She still missed her old best friend dearly, and thought about him every day. However, that was years ago. She hasn't fully gotten over it And honesty, who could? She did manage to learn how to live life without him. And her new "brother" helped as well.

"Goo! Have you seen my hoodie?!" The voice of a teenager called to her. Goo shouted back,

"Its in the drier!" Footsteps were heard; followed by the appearance of her adopted little brother. It was Mac. Well... Sort of. It was his Dopplejanger. He walked to the drier and pulled out his red hoodie. "Going somewhere?" She asked.

"Yea. Just to the store. Mom said she needed eggs." The teen smiled at her, and Goo smiled back. She reflected on her life in past half-decade: It wasn't easy starting this new life. There was a lot of hush-hush and secrecy for the better part of a year. But after complaining about being cooped up for so long and only getting to go out very rarely, it was time for Goo to help her cabin fever ridden brother. It was her that pitched the idea of a disguise. Although, her original idea involved lots of makeup and a clown wig, but after some negotiations, they decided on a change of wardrobe. Mac didn't totally scrap his red shirt and pants getup. Instead, he got light layers to go over it. In comes the unmarked red hoodie. At first, Mac was too scared to try it out, but being cooped up and bored overthrew his fear and forced him out into the world. He was under close supervision, but was otherwise on his own. Everything went ok for the most part, until he met a kid he- or, more specifically, the real Mac- knew in school. Mac quickly turned down his head as the kid struck up friendly conversation, to which Mac responded to. It was a nice conversation, until the kid asked why he had his hood up on such a sunny day. Thinking in his feet, Mac spun a yarn about having a rare skin condition making him vulnerable to bright lights. Amazingly, this excuse worked and the rest of the interaction went off without a hitch. Mac grinned at this and kept trying it out. It was a huge success that he used regularly.

"Want me to come with?" Goo asked. Mac shook his head.

"Nah. I got it this time. Hey, while you're here, can you set up my lesson for the day?" He asked. The lesson he was referring to was his schooling. Obviously, he couldn't return to school without raising suspicions, so Goo's parents got homeschooling set up for him. That, and with Goo writing down most of what she learned in her grade, was more than enough to keep Mac up to par in terms of basic intelligence.

"Sure thing bubby. Stay safe." She said as she waved goodbye to him. Mac smiled and waved back as he threw up his hood and headed out. It was a fairly overcast day with a chance of rain, so he was relieved to have a better excuse for his hood that day. He always enjoyed shaking things up every now and then. Made things interesting. It was days like these that made him forget about everything and just... live. However, he knew that, deep down, he wasn't real, and never would be. He would go days thinking he belonged, then something happened and reality came crashing back down on him. Was he ungrateful for the live he had now, Absolutley not. However, he felt his existence was a mockery to the real Mac. The one he replaced. It always sent a chill down his spine thinking about it. But today was not one of those days. He pushed all his problems aside and his only goal was eggs. However, though reality had not yet caught up, fractures of the past would always be there. In this instance, it was a very particular building. One he knew all too well: Fosters home for imaginary friends. It made his blood run cold whenever he walked past it, and he walked past it a lot. There were times when he caught himself staring in, hoping to catch glimpses of... anything. He sighed sadly, everyone was inside at the moment. He saw nothing save for the colorful house and the gates that held him at bay. He shook his head of the feelings he had and continued his journey to the store. He walked past the people he met on the street with ease. He was invisible to them, another kid. And he was just fine with that. He made his way to the store with ease but couldn't help but wonder... How was life at Fosters? How much had changed? Be only had questions he knew he'd never get the answers to... Frankie... Edwardo... Coco... Wilt... He choked up a bit before he thought of the last person... A certain azure blob of a friend: Bloo. It made him think. What were they up to now...


	4. FHfIF (Where are they now?)

_A/N Hey everyone! How are you liking the story so far? I love comments. Anyway, enjoy!_

**Chapter 4: FHfIF (Where are they now?)**

Bloo came around the corner with a wicked grin and a bag of feathers. This alone spelled trouble, but the fiery redhead that was hot on his heels was worse.

"Bloo! Get back here! Don't even think about-" Her words were cut off by the azure blob.

"Sorry Frankie! I got a date with destiny!" He slid down the stairs with ease, forcing the caretaker to take much slower way downs the stairs. Once she got down, she realized she had lost him.

"Oh man... I'm gonna hear about this soon..." She said as she rubbed her eyes. Fosters has changed a lot over the years since it was established, but probably the most important was when a pair of certain eight year olds waltzed in with their friend in tow. Fosters was never the same after that... Until it was. The death of Mac sent the whole establishment spiraling. It was if a dark storm covered the building at all hours. It was a sob fest, it was bad enough that the more emotional friends literally flooded the first floor with tears. Those who didn't tried their best to. It was well and truly shattering for all.

"Hahahaha! Sweet sweet satisfaction is mine to be had!" The blue blob raced past Madame Foster, who was walking by on her way to Mr. Herrimans office. She smiled at him and laughed at her granddaughter chasing him. After Mac's death, Madame Foster felt as though she had lost her grandson, and was reclusive to her room for days on end. When she finally came out, she wasn't the same. She wasn't the quirky, funny, silly old lady she was before, though she had recovered a but since then, she was still a shell of her former self. "Hey Madame Foster! Sorry to rush but I gotta-" He was interrupted by the bunny butler, Mr. Merriman.

"Walk, Master Blooreguard. You must walk. It is stated in rule number 284 that-" He, in turn, was interrupted by Bloo.

"Sorry Mr. H! Like I said to Frankie, I got a date with Destiny!" He raced past Mr. Herimman who grumbled and hopped off in responce. When Mac died, he tried to stay professional during it all. He acted mournful in front of others, while still managing a straight face. However, in the privacy of his office, soft weeps could be heard, though nobody had the desire to call him out on it, he had every right to be sad.

"Bloo! Get back here!" The tired caretaker said between huffs and puffs. "I swear I'll have you clean the toilets with your toothbrush when I get ahold of you!" Then there was Frankie. It was as if she lost a brother. The little guy who was always there for her when she was down and was always there to lend a helping hand with her chores. He helped her relax when things were stressful and was all-around a great guy to be around. In those dark times she was a recluse like her grandmother. Mr. Herriman of course gave her paid time off to grieve. In the meantime, every friend at Fosters did their best to keep the house together in her absence. Even when her hiatus finally broke, she still received lots of help from the friends. Her work life became easier, but her personal life was followed by a constant grim shadow in the shape of a little eight year old boy. There were times where she would ask him for help... and he wouldn't be there. This hurt her a lot... but she tried her best to live life.

"Big deal! I use your toobrush anyway!" Bloo retorted. This gave the redhead pause as her face turned green. Bloo then ran past Coco, Wilt, and Edwardo with such velocity that they fell to the ground.

"Woah, watch it Bloo. You could have hurt somone!" Wilt warned.

"Coco!" Coco added.

"Si, Miss Coco is right! You could make eh, someone fall down and uh, hurt themselves." Ed said. Coco glared at him.

"Coco coco!" She said.

"Good question, Coco. I don't know why everyone repeats what you say." Wilt said. Coco glared at him too. Coco, Wilt, and Edwardo didn't take it well either. Of course, Ed was one of the friends to flood the house. He cried and cried and cried for a solid week, only stopping to eat and drink water, which was a lot because he got dehydrated fast. Like most of the others, he never truly got over it. Most nights, you could hear the soft yet deep wails from his room. Coco almost stopped functioning all together. She stayed in her room, in her nest, for months. She didn't speak. She barely ate. She never moved. Until suddenly, she stood up and there was an egg under her. upon opening it, they saw a pristine picture of a happy Mac smiling at them. It made everyone smile and was immidiatly put on display in the main hall of Fosters. Wilt took it best of all of them, but honestly, that wasn't saying much. His once tall, determined demeanor was reduced to a pathetic slouch. He became less active. Stopped watching basketball, and was a depressed mess. It was almost ironic, but the most helpful friend in the house now needed help the most. Except... there was one other... and he took it worst of all. It was none other than the creation himself: Blooreguard Q Kazoo.

"Destiny! Here I come!" He launched himself in the air, bag of feathers in hand, right at an imaginary friend made of glue.

"Eeeeeeep!" She screamed as a cloud of feathers surrounded their vision. When the feathers cleared, Bloo found himself held at the ear by Frankie.

"Bloo. How many times do I have to tell you to quit. Harassing. Destiny!" She seethed angrily. Bloo shrugged.

"Well, this makes number 36 but who's keeping track, right?" Bloo responded. Frankie ground her teeth hard enough that Bloo thought they would turn to dust. He gulped and chuckled nervously. Bloo... the poor blob... He saw first-hand the atrocity that befell his creator that day. The images in his mind were etched into him like words on stone. It haunted his nightmares for years. He required a Therapists for the longest time and once that was done, he seemed like a husk. He barely ate, he hardly slept because of the nightmares, and his hyjinx all but came to a grinding halt. There was a deathly silence in the house for nearly a year. But fortunately, he bounced back to his old self. It took a while, but it happened. Little by little he gained his mischief back. Of course, due to circumstances, the deal he made with Madame Foster all those years ago still stood. He was only able to be adopted if he wanted to, but clearly, he didn't want to. He knew that most kids outgrew their imaginary friend, but what friend outlived their creator? He would never want another owner so long as he existed, and everyone was alright with that.

"Now go to your room and don't even think about coming back out until diner. And apologize to Destiny." Frankie commanded. Bloo apologized and retreated to his room where he sat in front of the window with his paddleball and watched life happen outside. He didn't like being alone with his thoughts. It made him remember Mac. This was never a bad thing, he liked remembering the good times he had, its just that every time he did he got sad, and he'd stay sad the rest of the day. However, today was different. Today... he thought of his other creator, a loose term, he knew, but he still considered him his co-creator.

"Oh Mike... what are you up to today...?" He said as he stared off into the world.


	5. Waking nightmare

_A/N The plot thickens. How? Read to find out. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 5: Waking nightmare**

"Hurry up Mike! I can't do this alone!" Bloo called. The boy in question turned to him and went to reply, but someone did for him.

"We're busy doing our own thing! Getting ready for the camping trip, remember?" Mac said.

"Ooooooh. That. Sounds lame." Mac rolled his eyes and continued packing.

"I'm not afraid of what's in the woods, I'm afraid of what we're bringing in." Mike pointed his thumb at Bloo and chuckled. Mac chuckled as well. Mike saw Mr. Herriman talking to Frankie about being gone for two long... dreadful... agonizing days. Mike smiled and shook his head.

"All done." Mike exclaimed.

"Same here. I'm gonna tell Mr. Herriman and them we'll be waiting outside." Mac said as he went off to do just that.

"Ok, I"ll be out here." Mike replied as he went outside. He wandered around a bit to pass the time and admired the bright sunny day "Perfect for camping..." He said to himself. He basked in the suns glory as he waited for his brother. He didn't have to wait long. In mere moments his brother hopped down the stairs of the mansion and towards his brother. Mike waived and Mac waved back. But then suddenly... Mac just... disappeared. Mike blinked once. Twice. Once he blinked the third time, he felt he was plunged into the darkest realm in existance. The sky was blood red and he wasn't on the grass anymore. He was on the road, yet one could barely tell due to the thick red liquid running down it. Mike lifted his leg up and the red stuff stuck to his leg, but quickly turned brown. He realized then he was standing in blood. The air in his lungs got trapped in the shock. The horror made him rub his eyes, hoping it was all in his head. When he looked at his hands, they, too, were covered in blood from where he rubbed his eyes. He had blood all over him, but it was not from the river he stood in, it was as if it were splattered on him. He screamed and fell back, nearly submerging himself in the blood around him. He scrambled and panicked, but his terror only increased ten fold when he finally looked up. He saw his brother Mac, except he was suspended in the air by an unnatural force. His body was bleeding and broken in so many ways. Mike stopped breathing all together now. His eyesight quickly dimmed as his brain used up what little oxygen it had. But just before he slipped away, he saw a face... it was just below Mac's body and it was staring at him menacingly. Mike shook his head slowly in fear just before the face lunged at him.

Reality

Mike shot up from his bed and breathed heavily. He clutched his chest to soothe his racing heart and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He took several deep breaths and threw his legs over the side of his bed as he attempted to sit upright. Once he calmed down he shook his head.

"I'm sick of remembering him that way..." He thought to himself as he got up and made his way to the bathroom. "Every time... it starts as a fond memory... then it turns to..." He shook the thoughts away and splashed cold water in his face. He held the sides of the sink as he let the water drip from his face. After a moment he brought his head up and forced himself to look in the mirror. He always hated what he saw. He changed a lot over the years, mostly for the bad. His hair, once black and prideful, had lost its luster years ago. His face once mirrored the innocence of a child, but was now hardened by a man who knew the truth of the world too well. He was lanky; but not malnourished. It was clear he didn't eat more than he had to. His fashion didn't change since he was a kid. He still wore shorts and a shirt sporting his favorite colors, but that was about it. He only dressed differently in special occassions. However, these changes were more... beneath the skin. To him, at least. No, what he hated most when he looked at himself, what he sneered at every morning, was a scar going across his right eye. To him, it was a constant reminder of that day. It was his anchor to the past. An ugly sign saying he can never escape his past. That night destroyed Michael. It took every fiber of his being and scrambled it up so bad that most couldn't even tell they were the same person. He was constantly depressed, a shut in, he rarely spoke. When he wasn't sad, he was angry. Needless to say, he took it the worst. For the most part, he outgrew his tantrums and his crying fits. Now... he was like a husk... A shell. A zombie. He functioned, sure. But only barely. Now, five years later, he stood in his bathroom, looking at himself and thinking. He thought a lot since that day. What did he think about? Did he think about Mac? His family? His friends at Fosters? Yes. But above all that, there was one thing he thought about most. More specifically, he thought about a word. A word that haunted him for five years. He glared at the scarred boy in the mirror and muttered only one thing. "Murder."


	6. An average day

_A/N hello everybody! Nothing to say so enjoy!_

**Chapter 6: An average day**

He continued to sneer at his reflection as he dwelled on a certain detail that has been haunting him. Mac's death wasn't a simple accident where the driver was too afraid to show himself. No, Mike saw the look in the drivers eyes. He realized soon after the funeral that the driver had intent. It was a hit-and-run murder, plain and simple. His killer was never found, and this fact had been most of Mike's driving force for the past half-decade. He clenched his fist tight and swore that if he ever found who killed Mac... He shook the thoughts away. There was no call in ruining a day before it even started. He walked out of the bathroom and headed into the kitchen where he saw his big brother and mother. His mom took Mac's death about as well as any mother who losses a child. She had a mask of professionalism on, but just below the skin, she was a mess. She cries herself to sleep more often than not. There were times when all she wanted to do was lie in bed and not do anything. Of course, she still had two kids to look after, so she had to put her big girl pants on and be a mother for the sake of her two remaining boys. She still half expects her lost little boy to be sitting at the table, eating breakfast and getting picked on by his big brother. In speaking of big brother, Terrence was also crushed by the loss of Mac. He was always mean to Mac, always teasing him. And some times, he was downright just evil to Mac. Mac knew that Terence cared for him deep down, unfortunately, Terrence was a bit skeptical. He was wracked with guilt after his little brother's death to the point where he needed therapy. He felt like Mac died cursing Terrence's name for how cruel he was to him. It took many months of friends, family, and his therapist to convince him that Mac knew he cared. It helped him a lot, but he swore off being a jerk for as long as he lived. Even to this day, he was true to his word. Sure, he still played pranks every now and again, he was still a big brother, after all. However, they were a vastly different calibre than what they used to be. These days, Terrence holds himself a bit differently. He got a part-time job right out of high school. He uses a lot of his money to help his mom pay bills. He has a more professional wardrobe, but he never got rid of his mullet, nor will he ever. It was at this moment he saw Mike walk in.

"Hey little bro." He said as he took a bite of his cereal.

"Hey Terrence." Mike replied as he sat down. His mom laid a plate of eggs and sausage down for him.

"Sleep well?" Mike shrugged and took a bite of his eggs.

"About as well as you'd expect." Terrence nodded solemnly. He and his mom knew of his nightmares and it was always a sad time of a mornings. Terrence looked at his watch and he nearly choked on his spoon.

"Damn. Is the time? I gotta go." He quickly finished his cereal and put on his jacket. His mom kissed him on the cheek as she handed him his lunch.

"Watch your language. You may be eighteen but you still live under my roof." she said. Terrence smirked.

"Lay off. I pay for half of this roof." His mom rolled her eyes and pushed him out the door.

"Get out of here you knucklehead." Terrence chuckled as he waived goodbye and headed off to work. Their mom shook her head with a smile as she sat down to eat with her other son. "Excited for the last week of school?" She asked. Mike shrugged.

"I guess so." He finished his eggs and started on his sausage.

"What are you gonna do this summer?" She asked.

"I dunno." He bit into his food. "Bloo said he wanted to build a teleporter. Figured I'd help keep him from causing too much chaos." Mike replied. His mom smiled and nodded. After he finished his breakfast, she packed him a lunch and sent him off to school. As he walked to school, he admired his surroundings. The trees were getting their green back after a cold winter, the nip in the air was slowly being replaced by a gentle spring breeze. It made him smile a bit, a rarity these days. When he arrived at school he saw Goo, who immediately ran up to him and hugged him.

"What's up Mike?" She asked as she bounced around. Mike shrugged.

"Nothing much." She smiled.

"You keep shrugging like that and you'll grow some big muscles on your neck. You'll just be one big shoulder!" She laughed as she pictured in her head what that would look like. Mike smiled and shook his head. The school bell rang, signaling everyone to get to class. Goo smiled at Mike and they both went to class.

Later

Lunch was special today because it was the final week of school. There was a special meal for each day and a choice of either a brownie, a cookie, or an ice cream. Goo got a brownie while Mike got a cookie. He gave it to Goo though. She thanked him and they ate without a care in the world. Until...

"Go get me an ice cream." A boy demanded. Mike didn't know he was talking to him, so he just continued to eat. "Hey!" The kid said louder. This got Mike's attention so he turned and looked. It was Chase: A kid who came to school this year and made it quickly known he was an alpha. In his mind at least. He was a jerk who pushed around people he knew he could get away with pushing. Long story short, he was a bully. But once he raised his voice, all the students in the auditorium went silent and looked.

"Uh... Help you?" Mike asked, a bit confused.

"I said go get me an ice cream." Chase demanded.

"Why would I wanna do a thing like that?" Mike asked. He wasn't trying to be a smartass, but Chase didn't know that. Chase sneered just a bit.

"Because I said so."

"Go get your own."

"I already had one. I want another."

"Not my problem." Mike was getting on his nerves now. He jammed a finger at Goo.

"You already gave one to her." He said 'her' with venom on his voice. This caused the hairs on Mike's neck to stand on end a bit. Through slightly gritted teeth, Mike replied.

"I don't eat sweets. So I give them to my friend." He enunciated 'friend' in hopes that Chase would get the message. He did not.

"Well, why don't you give one to someone else for a change?" Chase asked.

"Because I don't like you." This was the last straw for Chase. He kicked the table Mike and Goo were sitting on. It caused the table to lurch forward and hit Goo in the gut. She groaned in pain a bit. Mike saw this and looked at Chase. A spark if anger flashed in Mike's eyes as he stood up to face Chase. "Apologize to her. Now."

"Mike, it doesn't hurt that bad. You don't have to-" Goo tried to intervene, but Chase stopped her.

"No. You shut up you freak!" Mike growled a bit.

"Knock it off!" He said. Chase looked at Mike. Chase had had enough so he wound up his fist and tried to hit Mike. But Mike caught the fist in mid-air. Chase looked at his caught fist in shock then looked at Mike. Well, needless to say, Mike. Was. Pissed!


	7. The roamer

_A/N Happy Friday the 13th everyone! And a full moon to boot. It's like the prequel to spooptober. Well, enjoy!_

**Chapter 7: The roamer**

Mike growled and clenched his fist, crushing Chase's hand. He yelped in pain then snarled.

"you're gonna have to do better than that, scarface!" Chase brought his other fist up to punch Mike, but he dodged it with ease. As he pulled forward from the dodge, he yanked chase's hand, causing them to headbutt each other. Chase went down like a sack of potatoes with a bloody nose. Before Chase could react, Mike grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and shoved him in Goo's direction.

"Apologize to the lady." Mike demanded. Chases spat blood at Mike's shoes.

"Get bent!" He then yelled out as Mike twisted his arm more.

"Don't make me break your arm." Mike warned. Chase said a half-hearted apology to Goo and ran off after Mike let him go He sneered as he left but Mike felt he wasn't going to bother anyone for a while. Goo glared at Mike.

"You didn't have to do that." She scolded.

"I was defending your honor."

"My honor doesn't need defending, your record does. The principal said if this happened one more time-"

"Yea, yea, yea. I don't have time for this. I'm not in the mood for my day to be ruined so soon." Mike picked up his coat and walked off. Goo cocked her head.

"Where are you going?"

"Out. I need to clear my head."

"But-" Too late, Mike was gone. She groaned and wondered how she was gonna fix this.

Later

Mike left the school and spent his time walking around town in the crisp, cool air. He took a deep breath. It was refreshing and partially relaxing. It cooled his hot head down. He didn't like being violent... he never really did But after Mac... something just happened to him. His first outburst was years ago at Fosters. He was sitting down in the foyer with a mile long stare. This was the early days barely a week or two after the accident. He still showed up to Fosters loyally every day to keep his promise to Mr. Herriman and Madame Foster despite being told he wasn't obligated too for as long as he was recovering. He showed up anyway, and he wasn't much for conversation at that time. Unfortunatly, news of Mac failed to reach one person at Fosters. That person, was Duchess. She came down one day after getting her customary twenty three hours of beauty sleep. She felt like sitting in her favorite spot in the house: right where Mike was sitting. This of course caused her to demand for him to leave. After not getting a reply, and failing to hear the attempts to get her to back off from other members of the house, she started raising her voice to Mike. That was a big mistake. Something snapped in the poor boy at that moment. Maybe reality caught up with him. Maybe the accident awoke something hidden in him. Either way, he ripped Duchess a new one. He screamed at her about how selfish she was and how she probably didn't even know his brother was dead. he yelled and yelled and yelled until his voice was hoarse. He finally settled down and sat back where he was and let silent tears down his cheeks. Duchess, however, was shocked. Nobody had spoken to her in such manner and no, she didn't know Mac died. She felt... bad... ashamed... guilty. It... humbled her. She did what no one thought she would do; She apologized to Mike. He whispered that he forgave her, but that's it because his throat hurt. Mac's death truly changed everyone, some people in different ways than others. Mike's thoughts eventually led him to the very place he was thinking about. More specifically, the street adjacent to it. Even more specifically, the street where his brother...

"No. Don't think of that. Not today." He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then looked at the house and decided that since it was too early to go to there, that it would be ok to kill time in town. He tried his best to not notice the haunting street as he walked into town. After wandering from place to place keeping himself occupied in one way or another, he felt a strange rattle in his pocket. He checked and saw the money his mother had gave him. It was for him to go to the store and buy a few groceries after school. He decided that now was a good a time as any and made his way to the store. When he arrived, he pulled out the list of things his mother needed him to get. "Eggs... sausage... cheese... and milk. Hmm... Guess we're having omelets tomorrow." He pocketed the list and roamed the store looking for his goods. it was was uneventful, naturally, until he went into the dairy products isle. The milk wasn't the issue, it was what he heard that was the issue. It made his ears perk up and put him into sensory overload.

"Excuse me, do you know where the paper towels are?" The voice wasn't special by any means, just an average every day voice of a young teen boy. Except... Mike knew that voice.

"Not... possible..." He smacked his head a bit and shook it. "I'm finally losing it." He said to himself as he got himself checked out. After thanking the cashier, he heard the voice again. This time, it was accompanied by a body. He looked and saw a boy walk out of the store. He squinted and tried following the boy, but once he got to the exit, someone suddenly jumped out in front of Mike, startling him.

"Mike! I've been looking all over for you, goofball!" The fifteen year old girl said.

"Ah! Goo, what's your problem? You scared me." Mike proclaimed. Goo rolled her eyes.

"Save it, i spent the last half hour convincing the principal you didn't come to school today and and not having him call your mom! How about some gratitude!" She said with crossed arms. Mike rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry Goo. Thanks for covering for me." Goo shook her head and punched his shoulder. He smiled and she smiled back.

"Heading to fosters?"

"Yep. Wanna come?" Goo smiled.

"Sure. lead the way boss." She saluted and stood to attention. Mike cracked a small smile and lead the way to Fosters. Meanwhile, Goo took an uneasy glance at the kid Mike was following.

"You coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yea. Just let me send a quick text." She whipped out her phone and punched a few buttons. She then put her phone away and smiled. "Right behind you." Mike nodded and together, they headed to Fosters.


	8. A close call and a new clue

_A/N Hey everyone! Nothing interesting to say except to please leave reviews and whatnot. I love reading what you all have to say. Enjoy the new chapter!_

**Chapter 8****: A close call and a new clue**

Earlier

Mac was heading to the store after comtemplating life and his old friends. He missed them a lot. He sat at the park for awhile and simply took in the spring air. There was a peace to it. A calmness. He wondered how long it had been since he simply sat down and took life in. He must have dozed off, because when he came to his senses, the kids were getting home from school.

"Oh dang." He said as he shot up. "Mom and dad are gonna flip if I don't get home soon." He gathered his wits and made off to the store. He chastised himself for spacing out. He knew the risks of being out in public were high enough, let alone falling asleep in it. He shook his hear and figured that he was in the clear. If he wasn't, he would be hearing about it by now. He entered the store and glanced around quickly. He didn't see anyone he recognized so head headed in with confidence. "Hmm... paper towels... paper towels... paper towels..." He had scratched off everything else on his list except paper towels. "Did they move them somewhere else?" He tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm... Maybe someone here knows where they are." Mac walked around the store looking for someone to help him. He didn't search for long. "hello." He said. The worker turned to face him. "Do you know where the paper towels are?" The man nodded.

"Yea. They got moved over a few isles." He pointed in their direction. He thanked the man and went on his way to get them After that, he checked out, carefree as can be, until he suddenly got a text from Goo. It told him to look back towards the store. He cocked his head in confusion. How did she know he was at the store? Shouldn't she be in school? He looked back and saw none other than Goo. Except... she was walking beside someone. Goo glared at him from a distance and jammed her thumb in the direction of who she was with without said person noticing. Mac's blood ran cold as ice. She was walking with Mike. He then got another text a few minutes later from Goo telling him to be more careful next time with a few angry emogi's. Mike quickly walked away and threw up the hood of his hoodie. He shivered visibly, and not just because it cold. He was mere feet away from being caught... by his own brother no less. Well... Not his brother... Mac sighed sadly as his own reality came crashing down on him. He felt he had enough of the outside world for awhile. He set his destination for home and didn't dare taking any detours.

Meanwhile Later

Mike walked into his home and put the groceries on the table. He then went right to his room amd sat his stuff by the door. He went to his computer and sat down. The day at Fosters wasn't eventful, by Foster's means, anyway. Bloo was up to his usual antics but this time he had Goo to help. Today, the blob and the girl somehow managed to flood the attic, but that's about all that happened that was interesting. He was home before he knew it. But he knew his day was far from over. In his mind, it only just begun. See, about a year or two after Mac's death, Mike started digging into what happened the night of the accident. He dedicated the next three years of his life on finding the guy who murdered his brother. All he had to go on was a license plate and the description of the vehicle. Mike wasn't naive enough to believe that the person would keep the same license, but he had to try anyway. His search was not fruitful, as he expected, but he didn't give up. He studied every clue and lead he could with the public records of the accident. It ended up being a cold case, the driver was never found. Again, this didn't stop Mike. He spent hours every night digging deeper and deeper into what he could, but every lead sent him to a dead end. Until tonight. He had exhausted all of his resources... except one. He typed in a few words on the search engine and clicked the first link. He searched the website for a few minutes before he leaned back in his chair in shock. "I found it..." He said to himself. "I found it!" He said a little louder. He quickly packed up some gear; A coat, food, and a knife Terrence had given him on his eleventh birthday. He set it all aside and decided he'd head out after Mom and Terrence came home from work and went to bed. He went back to the computer and double checked to make sure his eyes weren't lying to him. They weren't. There, barely visible, but there, was the unforgettable beat up and rusted car with the jagged edges amongst several others in the local junkyard. Mike squinted and saw that the front of the car was dented a bit. As if it had smashed into something... "Or someone..." Mike seethed in anger. No doubt about it. It was the car. He sat on his bed and realized... this junk yard... he knew this junkyard. A new wave of feelings washer over him as he realized... that this was the same junkyard that Mac, Bloo, and himself had all gone to... all those years ago...


	9. Sibling rivalry

_A/N Heyo! Bad news, the lööps cat died today... rest in peace kitty. rest in peace. Enjoy the chapter._

**Chapter 9: sibling rivalry**

Mac stepped into his house and breathed a sigh of relief. He managed to get home without being seen or having a major panic attack due to stress. He knew he was starting to slip. He was getting sloppy.

"Jeeze... I have to be more careful..." He said to himself over and over. He gave his adoptive mother the things she needed from the store, without telling her what he went through that day, then went to his room. He laid down on his bed and tossed a ball into the air and caught it. He found out a few months ago that this was a good way to reduce stress, however, it wasn't working for him today. He tossed the ball up once more then refused to catch it. It rolled away from him as his arm hung lazily over the side of his bed. He couldn't relax at a time like this especially after what he went though.

"Five years..." He muttered to himself. "Haven't seen him... for five years." He was talking about Mike. Of course, this was a slight exaggeration. He caught brief glimpses of him whenever he passed Fosters and he heard about him from Goo, since they went to school together. But today... He was mere feet from him today. The thought alone sent tingles down his spine. "How would he even react... all these years..." His mind raced with possibilities. From crying to anger to indifference to... all sorts of things. However, his thoughts were interrupted by somewhat angry knocking on his door followed by an irritant voice.

"Mom said dinners ready." And just like that, the voice was gone.

"Goo?" Mac said to himself. She sounded so bent out of shape. This wasn't like her. He decided to question her after dinner. He left his room and saw that everyone was already getting their food. He followed suit, but noticed that Goo was looking at him kinda funny. He brushed it off at first, but all thought the meal, the look became a full-blown scowl that she hid from her parents. Mac was confused, he didn't know what he did to make her so angry. Mac and his family finished their meal and it was Goo and Mac's turn to do the dishes.

"Kids," Their dad said as Mac washed and Goo dried, yet she set down the dishes with obvious venom. "Your mother and I have to go out for a little while. Hold down the fort until we get back." He said with a chuckle. As soon as he heard their car leave the driveway, Mac decided to question Goo.

"What's gotten unto you Goo?" He asked. She shot him a look.

"You know exactly what's gotten into me." Mac was confused. She rolled her eyes in frustration. "You nearly got caught you idiot!" She yelled. Mac realized now what she meant, but still, that didn't give her the right to be angry.

"Look, I messed up ok? It won't happen again-" The words barely left his mouth before she interrupted him.

"You shouldn't have let it happen to begin with! You've been doing good for years and you slip up now? Right next to him?!" Mac's blood pressure was starting to rise.

"Goo." He said firmly. "I made a mistake. And I had no idea that he would be there." Again, Goo rolled her eyes.

"This isn't a game Mac. If I remember correctly, this was your idea, to remain hidden so no one would feel any heartbreak. Did that change overnight or something? Do you realize what's at stake-" Mac had enough at this point. He blew up.

"Shut! Up!" He yelled. She went small immidiatly, but Mac wasn't done. "I know damn well what's at stake! Do you think this is easy?! Hiding from your friends and family?! Staying indoors most days of the year?! It's hard! My heart aches every single day as I remember what I lost!" Goo hadn't seen Mac this angry in years. Not since they first met...

"Mac I-" She tried to say, but Mac cut her off.

"No, I don't want to fucking hear it!" "Goo gasped and covered her mouth. She never heard Mac swear so harshly before. "You have no idea what I go through every day! It's hell! You're lucky, you still have friends, you still have family! Heck, You're still a damn human!" Goo had almost forgot... That one detail...

"Mac... I'm sorry..." She said in a quiet voice. Mac shook his head angrily.

"Save it." He went to the coat rack and grabbed his coat.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Out. Is that a problem?" He said with a sneer as he left, slamming the door on the way out. Goo could only stand there in shock, staring at the door. Things had escalated so quickly... She sometimes forgot the weight on Mac's shoulders, and how he could never put it down. Her outbursts tonight was the straw that finally broke the camel's back. She collapsed to her knees.

"Mac..." She said while hugging her knees and starting to cry. "I'm... So sorry..."

Later

Mac Huffed angrily, causing a thick mist to escape from his lips in the cold night air. He knew he crossed a few lines back there, but he was simply too upset to care right now. He figured he'd go on a short walk, cool his head, and apologies later. He left in such a hurry that he forgot his phone, so he couldn't text her he was sorry. He shrugged a bit. "Doesn't matter... not gonna be gone long anyway." Mac wondered around aimlessly as he thought about things. Life. Family. Circumstances. He was so enveloped in his thoughts, that he didn't even notice the van pull up. In a flash, he was grabbed, pulled in, gagged, and had a bag stuffed over his head. He felt a sharp pain in his head and knew he was hit by something hard he was sent into a daze and only heard one phrase before blacking out.

"Hell yea. Another slab for the grinder. Issac will be pleased..."


	10. A simpler time

_A/N Disregard last week's note. Lööps is alive and well. Beside that, enjoy the chapter!_

**Chapter 10: A simpler time**

Mac was awaken by being jostled.

"Ah! Who?! What?! Where?! How?!" His head darted around violently trying to figure out where he was.

"Dude. You gotta get up." A voice said to him. Mac was still dizzy from the rude awakening that he couldn't comprehend the voice for a moment.

"Ugh... Wha...?" He rubbed his eyes and squinted at the fuzzy figure in front of him. Once he adjusted, his eyes widened.

"We're gonna be late for school. Get up and get dressed." His brother, Mike said as he pulled Mac to his feet. Mac was shocked but... he wasn't sure why. "Have a nightmare or something? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I don't know. But I feel better now. Do we have time for breakfast?" Mac asked.

"No, we slept through our alarm. We gotta go now." Mac groaned and quickly got ready for school.

Later

After school, Mike and Mac did what they had been doing for awhile now: Visiting Fosters. As soon as the brother's entered the mansion, they knew it was gonna be an interesting day. They saw Bloo in Mr. Herriman's office being scolded for one thing or another. They didn't pay it much mind until Bloo was excused and he bolted after the brothers.

"Guys! I gotta tell you something!" He said as he bounced with anxious energy.

"Bloo, I told you yesterday. We're not helping you make a teleporting machine." Bloo rolled his eyes.

"Yea, yea, black holes, shmlack holes. But that's not what I wanted to tell you." he said as he brought the boys close to him and whispered. "I found a secret door." Mac and Mike blinked at him.

"So?" Mac replied. Bloo's grin shrunk to a frown.

"So? So?! SO?! Where's your sense of mystery?! Adventurer?!" The blob accused.

"It went out the window when we nearly got ate by an extremeosaurus rip off of pac-man." Mike said. Bloo shook his head and wrapped an arm around Mike.

"Mike.. My boy... You disappoint me. I remember a young boy who would draw all over the walls then get in trouble for it-" Bloo began.

"That was you." Mike replied.

"Who never did what he was told-"

"Still you."

"And never took no for an answer." Mike didn't even bother to answer that time. "Look, my point is fuzzy feet won't let me open the door, but I gotta know what's in there!"

"Look, I'd rather us not get in trouble today. Let's just do something else. Remember that go-kart we wanted to build-" Mac was interrupted by Bloo crossing his arms and huffing.

"Fine. Be that way. But mark my words; I will figure out what's behind the secret door!" Bloo marched off and started interrogating everyone in the house while Mac and Mike facepalmed.

Later 

It was a new day, full if opportunities. At least, it would have been, had the brothers not been instantly met with strange scribble-like creatures as soon as they opened the door to Fosters. The boys frowned instantly and started marching through the chaos.

"Where is he?" The boys asked in unison. Frankie pointed in his direction. They walked up to Bloo's room and opened the door only to see Bloo sitting and playing with a strange girl, and all the scribbles were suddenly gone now.

"Wait... wha?" The girl saw Mac and introduced herself.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I'm Goo." She said as she offered her hand.

"Wait... the scribbles... Bloo?" Mike looked at Mac and cocked is head.

"Mac... The scribble thing happened awhile ago. And you already met Goo remember? You kinda fell butt first on her."

"Oh... Right. I guess I haven't been sleeping right. I'm all confused."

"I'll say." Bloo interjected. "How can you forget this gal? She's a keeper." Bloo nudged Mac with his elbow as he said the last part

"Yea. Sure. So what do you guys wanna do today?"

"I wanna hang out with all the friends our new buddy here came up with." He said as he gestured to Goo, who smiled with pride. Goo walked up to Mike and poked at him.

"Hmm... You and Mac are brothers, and Bloo was created by Mac alone, why? Were you traumatized as a kid? Did you see something awful? Or did you just not wanna help? Or maybe-" Mike cut the rambling girl off.

"Nah. Just couldn't happen I guess. I don't mind though. Bloo's a cool guy... when he wants to be." Mike smirked at Bloo, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Meh. Enough chit-chat. I wanna introduce you two to a friend I'm particularly fond of." Bloo walked off into a different room. Mike and Mac followed, but as Mac entered the new room, he realized it was Bloo's room, the one he just left.

"What...? How?" He rubbed his head as he tried to process it all. He looked back to Goo for answers but found she was not there.

"Hi there!" A cheery voice said to the brothers. Mac looked and took a shocked step back at what he saw.

"Just so you know, I like Bloo berry much." The friend closed the distance between her and the brothers and whispered. "So stay out of my way." She finished as she skipped over to Bloo. Mac was so confused. He looked around for answers but found none.

"Jeeze... a few of her berries aren't ripe..." Mike said with a light chuckle before noticing his brother's distress. "Mac? You ok?"

"I don't... I don't understand..." Mac replied as he breathed heavily. "It doesn't make sense." Mike slowly approached him and tried to calm him down.

"Mac... easy... calm down. What's the problem?" He asked.

"The scribbles... Goo... Berry..." He said between breaths. Mike gave him a concerned look.

"Mac... You're not making any sense... You need to wake up." Mac cocked his head and looked at Mike. But to Mac's surprise, Mike wasn't there. In fact, nothing was there. He was in a dark void. He then suddenly felt a sharp pain on his cheek that caused him to cry out. He held his face and tried to sooth the burning, but then he felt the sharp pain again. He yelled out and covered his face. But the pain just kept coming back again and again. He closed his eyes and tried to hide from it. But then, when he opened his eyes, he saw someone above him with am open hand raises above them.

"I said wake up!" Mac's eyes widened as the hand came down on him.


	11. Welcome to the junk-dome

_A/N hello, hello, hello. Please be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments. I love feedback but never see it. Enjoy!_

**Chapter**** 11: Welcome to the junk-dome**

* * *

"I said wake up!" Mac suddenly felt a violent pain on his face. He yelped and covered his face just as his assailant was about to attack him again. "''bout damn time. Get your ass up already." A gruff voice said. Mac was so confused that he didn't even make an effort to move. Annoyed by his incompetence, the man grabbed Mac by the scruff of his shirt and forced him to his feet. "Damn kid. You fuckin' stupid or something?" Mac shook the pain and confusion away.

"N-no... W-here am I?" Mac asked as he looked around. He saw what could only be described as a locker room, except it was decrepit and nearly all assets seemed like they had been banged up or left to rust for who knows how long. A single haphazardly placed light dangling from the ceiling barely illuminated Mac and the guy. Mac was shoved slightly by the guy.

"You never heard of the legendary junk-dome?"

"Junk-dome?" The man rolled his eyes and grabbed Mac's arm and started dragging him out of the room.

"You better learn some things fast, kid. Isaac doesn't like it when his new contestants don't last longer than one match." Mac's eyes widened.

"W-what?! What are you talking about?!" The man looked at Mac and smiled evilly.

"Kid. This is where humans and imaginary friends come to die. They say winner goes free but..." The man smirked. "How do you think we stayed hidden so long?" Mac's eyes widened more as he started to protest and struggle against the iron grip of the man, but to no avail. "You wanna know something kid? Isaac asked for you especially."

"Why?"

"I dunno. He didn't say. All he said is that you're a friend he's had his eyes on for awhile."

"How... How do you know that I...?"

"Isaac told me. Don't know how he knew, but he was adamant. Enough questions." The man walked into another room, but this time, it was filled with all kinds of imaginary friends. Some looked fresh and scared. Some look like they were traumatised, evident by the red blood on their bodies. And a select few looked hardened and seemed to enjoy their new lot in life. Mac swallowed the bile building in his throat. He turned to question the guy again only to see that he had left and locked the door behind him. Mac started pounding on the door but was quickly stopped by a brutish looking friend decked out in junk armor and battle scars.

"Stop that!" The ragged friend said as he jerked Mac with him. He tossed Mac at a rack of armor and weapons made from scratch from the nearby junk. Mac stared at the friend with a confused look. "Get something your'e comfortable with. You're gonna need it." With that, the friend left Mac to his own devices. He was so confused and scared.

"I wanna go home..." He said to himself as a few tears started to trickle down his cheeks. Someone walked up to him and shoved a helmet into his chest. The wind was knocked out of him momentarily but he remained standing.

"Cut the tears and out this on or you won't last a minute. You're up after the next guy." The friend started to walk away.

"Fuck you..." Mac said under his breath. The friend slowly turned and backhanded Mac so hard he fell down. He gasped in shock and pain as the friend walked away as if he just took care of simple business. Mac chastised himself for saying something so dumb. This caused Mac's eyes to water. Mostly in sadness, but also with a hint of anger. He told himself he'd get out of this. One way or another. He'd tell everyone and get this whole place shut down. He looked through the pile of armor and weapons. He took the lightest bits he could and put it on. It was uncomfortable and a few loose bits poked into his body, but it was better than nothing. The old brown stains made Mac realise that he probably wasn't the first to wear this. After pushing those thoughts aside, Mac looked at the selection of weapons. There was a lead pipe with rusty nails jutting out of it, a sword that looks like it was made of sharpened street signs, a shield made of a stop sign strapped with cloth, and a massive block of rebar with a pole supporting it. He instantly dismissed the rebar club, it was simply too big for him. He thought about using the pipe and shield combo, but the pipe would have needed two hands to use, so he settled for the sword and shield combo. He hoped he wouldn't need to use it. Mac heard the sounds of battle outside. He then looked and saw everyone surrounding a T.V that was broadcasting the fight. He watched for a few moments but knew quickly that the friend had no chance. Mac shivered and stopped watching. "I need a plan on how to get out of here..." He began thinking and planning, but he didn't have much time to do so. The match outside was over quickly and the friend in charge grabbed Mac and started dragging him towards the door.

"Get ready punk. The human your're up against came in a little while before you, but he's got a mean streak. Luckily for you, he doesn't kill.The friend opened the door, exposing a large arena-like stadium with dozens of people, mostly grungy teens, shouting and leering from above. Mac gulped. "That doesn't mean he won't break you into dust." Mac was suddenly flung into the ring face first. His helmet rolled beside him as he slowly stood up. Mac looked around the arena. The rustled dirt from past fights and dented metal sent chills down his spine. He also saw dried puddles of dark red and blue. Blue... the color of imaginary friend blood... Just then, the door to the human combatants opened up. Mac quickly put his helmet on and looked at his opponent.

"So... I don't have to kill..." Mac looked up and saw an outcropping that looks like where the head honcho would sit, but he saw no one there currently. "Not yet anyway..." Mac shook his head. He told himself it didn't need to come to that, he'd escape before he took a life. His opponent, decked out in armor from head to toe, walked towards the center of the arena. Mac couldnt see his face, but he knew this one meant business. A metal club was clutched in his opponents hand and Mac could easily feel the cold stare.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A voice from a loudspeaker said. "Tonight is a very special match, put on by Isaac himself! Tonight's fight, there will be no win by knockout or submission! Tonight will be win by killing!" The crowd cheered and Mac's stomach dropped.

"Oh no..." Mac looked at his opponent, who seemed unfazed by the news and started charging. "So much for not killing anyone..."


	12. Escape

_A/N Nothing to say. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 12: Escape **

Mac yelped as his apponnent charged. He raised his shield just as they slammed their club down on it. The force sent pain through his arm, but he bit back the pain as best he could and shoved his opponent away. Mac glanced at his shield and saw a huge dent in it. He didn't expect a sign to put up much resistance anyway. He couldn't think for long though, for his opponent was right back on top of him, except this time, the mace got caught on the shield. However, the boy took his free right hand and punched Mac in the face. This dazed Mac just enough for the boy to grab Mac and slammed him against a wall. The boy grabbed Mac by the throat and lifted him up until he had to stand on the tips of his toes in order to breathe. At that moment, their eyes locked. The green eyes of the boy burned into Mac's brown.

"Do you want to get out of here?" The boy, who's voice was partially muffled by his helmet."

"W-wha...? Yea..." Mac was confused. Was he helping him?

"Good... Now fight better." The boy tossed Mac aside. He hit the ground hard and groaned. He stood up and looked at the boy, who was approaching him.

"What's his plan...?" Mac shook his head. He had to focus on the fight right now. The mystery boy charged again, but Mac was ready now. Just as the boy made contact, Mac knelt, which caused the boy to roll over his shield. He landed on his feet, but Mac felt good about what he did. He didn't actually think that'd work. This caused the crowd to go wild. Mac stroked his chin a bit.

"Hmm... I wonder." Mac looked at the boy, who readied his mace. Mac narrowed his eyes and charged at the boy while letting out a battle cry. The boy blocked it with ease, but it drove the crowd insane. Mac was starting to figure out the plan. With the crowd so riled up and focused on the fight, they could easily cause a distraction and slip away. Mac gripped his weapons with newfound purpose. To be honest... he always kinda wanted to be in showbusiness. The two went at each other, exchanging punches and swings and blocks, followed by a short grapple telling the other what they were gonna do next. The crowd got more and more fired up by the minute until they were almost literally climbing put of their seats. The boys grapple each other again to further decide their plan. "What do we do now?" Mac asked. The boy merely grunted and pushed him back a few feet. Mac watched as the boy reared back, as if to throw his mace. Eyes widening, Mac ducked and held his shield up. The boy threw the mace, but it went nowhere near Mac. Instead, it sailed overhead towards what looked like a VIP area. The mace hit the glass, it shattered, and there, sitting, almost non-caring, was a single man. He didn't flinch even as a few shards of glass slice his clothes. Mac looked and saw the boy glaring at him. "That must be him... Isaac..." Suddenly, the doors from both sides of the ring opened up with the imaginary friend Mac saw earlier coming from the imaginary friends place and the human he woke up to from the humans. They were both brandishing big weapons and were coming at them fast.

"What's this folks? Rule breakers in the ring? Well, we all know what happens now! Death!" The announcer yelled. This caused everyone to go even more mad, rattling the very foundations of the stadium. Mac started to back away from the Burly imaginary friend only to back into the boys back. Seems he did the same to the human.

"Get ready." The boy said.

"For what?" Mac replied, but just as soon as he did, both goons swung their weapon at Mac and the boy respectively. Mac ducked at the last second same with the boy. This caused the goons to slam their weapon into each other's face and knock them both out. "Woah..." Was all Mac could say. The boy pointed to a nearby wall.

"Go! Now!" He commanded. Together, Mac and the boy charged headlong at the wall as humans and imaginary friends alike rushed out of their holds due to their keepers being incapacitated. at the same time, the crowd began pouring into the arena from the sheer chaos and excitement. Mac and the boy slammed as hard as they could into the flimsy metal walls and broke through just as a pile of people and rubble came crashing down. The fell to the ground in an empty hallway. Mac coughed and stood up as he looked at the wall, which was blocked by debris.

"Wow... That would almost be awesome if it wasn't so terrifying..." Mac then turned to the boy. "Thanks for-" He couldn't get his sentence out in time. Mac was suddenly pressed to the wall by the powerful hand of the boy. Mac struggled to no avail against the hand and the boy who owned it.

"You..." Was all the boy said as he slowly raised his other hand to grab Mac's helmet. Mac groaned as the boy wrestled it off his head. The boy let go and stood back to look at him as Mac fixed his messed helmet-head hair.

"What was that for?" Mac asked. He received no answer, only the boy taking off his own helmet. Mac thought he had seen some surprises in his time, but this one was the biggest by far.

"I knew it was you as soon as I saw your eyes..." The boy said, but Mac realized this was no average boy. "Then again, how could a brother ever forget?"

"Mike..." Mac slowly said. A small smile cracked over the scarred face of his brother. "Mike..." He said again, almost not believing it.

"I knew... I knew I heard you in the store..."

"Mike... I-" The sounds of fighting and general chaos from outside broke their reunion short.

"We can't stay here ling. We need to go. Now!" Mac nodded and together, the brothers started running for the exit.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Mac asked as they dodged imaginary friends and humans, both contestants and viewers.

"Long story short, I tracked someone here! Got caught and was forced to fight!"

"That was some good thinking back there!"

"Guess you didn't get all the intelligence then huh?!" Mac smiled at bit. They continued to push their way through until they found a big pair of metal doors. They braced themselves and burst through it where they were instantly met with flashing red and blue lights.

"Wha...?" Mac said as his eyes slowly adjusted. As they did, he slowly made out a figure standing over them. His eyes widened. "F... Frankie?"


	13. The calm before the storm

_A/N Still nothing to say. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 13: The calm before the storm**

Later

"Wait, tell me again how you found them?" Wilt asked the redhead in question."

"Well, I was busy cleaning up the aftermath of one of Bloo's 'grand ideas'." Frankie glared at Bloo, who shrugged. "When I saw a kid standing around outside. When I went out to take a closer look, I saw a van come by and nab him. So i hopped in the bus and chased after them as stealthily as I could, but not before calling the police. I told them where I was and they sent a whole squad. Turns out, they've been trying to bust this imaginary friend ring for quite a while." She explained.

"Oh. Interesting. But uh... Who's that kid hiding himself in the corner?" Wilt asked. A few tears welled up in Frankie's eyes.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Everyone looked at the same time at the kid hanging his head, concealing his face. He slowly looked up with a small, shy smile.

"Hey... guys..." Mac said with a small wave. A silence filled the room. A silence so intense that it was almost deafening. Nobody spoke, nobody moved and they barely breathed. After a few moments, a small azul head poked itself out from the crowd of people.

"Mac...?" The Bloo blob said.

"Heya Bloo..." Mac replied.

"Mac..." Bloo said again as he approached the boy. "It's... it's really you..." He said as they stood face to face. Well, more like chest to face. Mac was still taller than Bloo even after all this time.

"Well... Not exactly..." Mac said as his face dropped again. Bloo cocked his head.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Mac sighed. His cover was blown anyway... might as well spill it all.

"Guys... I... I'm not..." All eyes were on the brown headed boy. He felt the crushing pressure on his shoulders. Not the pressure from the stares, but from the secrets he harbored. He sighed again. "I'm not... real... I'm imaginary. The real Mac, the one you all know, he's dead. He's been dead for years. I'm just... a fake... a lie..." Tears welled up in Mac's eyes. He rubbed his shoulder awkwardly as the tears flowed down his cheeks. The weight he held for so long... was finally lifted... years of keeping it a secret finally over. It had an odd sense of relief to him, but now... now he had to face the judgment of his old friends.

"Mac..." Wilt started as he stood up. "I'm sorry but..." He put a hand on his hip and frowned slightly. "That's a dumb lie." Mac looked up shocked at Wilt.

"But I... I'm imaginary." He said.

"That may be true, but did you ever stop to think maybe that's how it was supposed to be?" Mac was put to silence by this. What did he mean?

"Si, Senior Mac probably wanted to be replaced." Edwardo said.

"Excuse me?" Mac replied. Frankie glared a bit at Edwardo.

"What Ed means is, maybe Mac would have wanted it this way, for us not to be sad and to have someone in his place that can keep us happy." She said.

"Coco cococococ cocococ coco." Coco... uh... said?

"Couldn't have said it better myself Coco!" Bloo said as he looked at Mac. "You're my pal for life Mac. whether or not you're a human shouldn't matter. Because you're the best you, you can be." The blob grinned widely as did everyone else. Mac was touched. His cold tears of sadness were replaced with tears of happiness.

"Guys... I... I don't know what to say..." He said between sobs and hiccups.

"Don't say anything master Mac." Mr. Herriman said as he wiped a tear from his eye while maintaining his poshness. "Rejoin us. Dedicate you're existance go Mac's honor and do what he would do." Mac smiled more, but then it faded once he saw Mike staring out the window, not interacting at all. This hurt him a bit.

"M-Mike...?" Mac asked as he walked up to him. "Aren't you... gonna say anything?" He heard Mike let off a long sigh.

"Mac..." He said without turning away from the window. "For years I've mourned your death. I never really got over it either." He turned to Mac and, for the first time in years, true emotion showed on his face. Mike wept tears of joy. "What do you expect someone who lost everything to say once they got it all back?" Mac cried more as well upon hearing that. They fell into each others arms and hugged each other so tightly. Their legs gave out and they fell to their knees. Neither ever wanted to let go. "I missed you so much..." Mike said between sobs.

"M-me too..." Mac replied as they finally parted. It was then Mac saw the slight frown on Mike's face. "What's wrong?"

"There's just one problem we got to settle."

"What's that?"

"Isaac."

"What about him?"

"They didn't catch him."

"So? He'll get caught soon enough.

"You don't understand." Mike said as he stood up. "Isaac wasn't just some ringleader of illegal imaginary friend fighting."

"Then what makes him so important?" Mike narrowed his eyes as he thought.

"You know what I've been doing the past years? Not sitting around moping. No, I've been looking into your death Mac. You were murdered.

"Murdered?! But... we were told it was an accident." Frankie said in shock.

"I know. And that's what it was supposed to look like. But... that day... just as I was pushed out of the way... I saw his face... I saw intent. It was murder. And i spent my days searching for your killer. And Mac... I found him. Hell, we saw him just a few hours ago, it's the whole reaon I ended up at that damn place. I got caught and was forced to fight by your very killer... Isaac!" Thunder clashed everyone's eyes widened. At the same time, they heard tires squeal outside. Everyone rushed out to see a van tearing away from the house as well as a peice of paper was tossed out from the window and screaming was heard.

"What the hell?!" Frankie said as she watched the van leave. While most of them were focused on the car, Mike and Mac were staring at the note.

"No..." Mac said in shock. Mike read it and glared.

"Bastard... He better not have..."

"What is it? What's going on?!" Frankie asked. They showed her and everyone else the note and they gasped in shock.

"They have her!" Mac said as he held his head in stress. "They have Goo!"


	14. Hunt him down

_A/N Nothing to say. __ Enjoy the chapter!_

**Chapter** **14:**** Hunt him down**

* * *

They rushed to Goo's house to confirm their fears. To their horror, it was true. Goo's house was ransacked and there was no sign of Goo anywhere.

"We have to call the police! Did anyone get a licence plate number?!" Frankie asked frantically.

"Coco coco!" Coco said.

"Good job Coco." Wilt said as he headed for a phone. Mac was gripping his head in stress.

"Why is he doing this?! Who even is this guy and what does he want from us?!" Mac exclaimed. Mike was busy looking around for clues.

"I got no idea. He tried to run us down years ago... Hmm." Mike said as he stroked his chin in thought.

"What?"

"Something's off... but I can't tell what. It's almost like he's playing games with us..." He dwelled on this for a moment until a glint caught his eye. He looked and saw the lights from a car. "No..." He walked over to the window and squinted. Yep. It was a car. Just sitting there. It was the same car that took Goo. Mike's eyes widened. He gathered his friends and told them what he saw They looked and saw the same thing so they all rushed to the Fosters bus. As soon as they did, the car took off. It was a chase. A deliberate chase.

"The police are on the way. I told them where we were heading!" Wilt said.

"Good job Wilt." Frankie gritted her teeth. "Just hope they brought an ambulance too because this guy is gonna need it after I'm done with him!" The others nodded in agreement. They were on a warpath and nothing was going to stop them. They were gaining quick on the car. Frankie grinned because she knew that the puny car in front of her would break down or run out of gas long before she dropped under half a tank. Frankie was a skilled driver, this she knew. However... Nobody is good enough to stop an eighteen wheeler going full speed at an intersection. The truck slammed into the center of the bus and caused it to go into full rolls off the road. The occupants of the bus were jostled around like toys in a shaken chest. At the same time, Mike's head was slammed into the metal siding of the bus, causing his world to go black. In his unconscious head he saw the day he and Mac had met Goo. She was an interesting creature to be sure, but also quite annoying. Mike didn't mind this, in fact, he admired this quirk and felt it added to her as a person. Mac however didnt quite see it like that at first. The days that followed showed Mike that his dear brother had quite a temper when properly pushed. In the end, all turned out well. Goo... He had known her for so long that she was like a big sister to him... But now she was in danger. A fit of anger sparked him awake from his consciousness.

"Ugh... Wha... Goo..." He shook his head and tried to remember where he was. Then he heard the groaning. He rubbed his eyes to quell the double vision in his head. It was then that he saw the Fosters bus on its side, pinning everyone else but Mac under it. Mac, as well as Mike, seemed to have been ejected from the bus at some point. Mac was just getting up from his own trauma induced slumber and looked upon the same scene Mike was seeing.

"Mike..." Mac said as he slowly stood up and groaned. "We gotta help them." Mac helped Mike up and went over to the Fosters bus. Mac looked at and talked to everyone that was pinned while Mike looked around. The first thing he saw was the eighteen wheeler, wrapped around a tree. The smell of blood filled his nose and he cringed. He knew the driver didn't make it. However... Mike did see something else. He saw a figure deep in the woods holding someone else in their hands. It was without a doubt Goo. And...

"Isaac..." Mike said with a sneer. Mac walked up to Mike and tapped his shoulder.

"Everyone's ok. Most of the weight fell on Ed. He's not hurt either and he can get the bus off them, but it'll take awhile."

"We have to go now." Mike said, not taking his eyes off his target.

"What?! Why?" It was then Mac saw what Mike saw and he knew what he meant. He looked back at those trapped under Fosters bus.

"Go guys! Find Goo and help her! The police are on their way and once Ed gets this off us we'll be there to help!" Frankie said. Mac nodded and looked at Mike. Together, the brothers made off towards Isaac and Goo. At the same time, Isaac began dragging Goo deeper into the woods while she kicked and screamed. The boys kept pace with Isaac, but soon, the rain and the sheer darkness of the woods made it difficult to see. For a moment they lost sight of them, but after a bit of searching, they found Goo lying in the mud.

"Goo!" Mac exclaimed. The boys rushed to her aid and helped her up, but she was shaking her head furiously.

"Trap! Run!" She said. Her eyes then widened and she let out a scream while pointing. Mike and Mac looked back, but too late, a sharp object slashed at Mike's chest, cutting him open with a deep gash. Mike howled in pain and fell back as Mac was slammed in the face with the pommel of whatever they were hit with. He fell back in a heap as well.

"Finally..." A monotonous voice said. "After all these years." Mike held his bleeding chest and looked up at his attacker. It was then he saw the cold, dead, unfeeling eyes he knew all too well staring back at them. The eyes of a murderer. The eyes of a hit-and-runner. Isaac.


	15. Showdown

_A/N getting close to the end folks. However, I still have a few stunts to pull.. Enjoy!_

**Chapter 15: Showdown**

Mike groaned and snarled at Isaac.

"You... monster." He said through gritted teeth.

"I never claimed to be anything else." Isaac replied. His unfeeling tone sent chills down the spines of all who heard. Mac, who was recovering from the blow, held his head in pain.

"You're not going to get away with this!" The boy said, standing up. Mike, who was still bleeding, found the strength to stand up as well.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." Isaac said, brandishing his wicked dagger.

"You killed my brother. You tried to kill me, and you put our best friend at risk. You're not leaving this forest in one piece!" Mike said, growling like an enraged animal.

"I want it known that the girl was not in harms way and she was never my target. All I care about, is you two." Isaac said. Mac and Mike cocked their heads.

"What have you got against us? We never did anything to you." Mac said.

"Correct. However, your existance is a threat to my master, who has ordered me to kill you both. A slight hiccup delayed that, but it will be done here shortly." He said.

"Hiccup? Hiccup?! Mac saving my life was a hiccup?!" Mike said. He stepped towards Isaac but then fell and held his bleeding chest.

"Mike!" Goo exclaimed as she crawled to him.

"Leave, girl. I have no business with you." Goo, however, held her ground.

"Leave them alone!" She shouted. Isaac shook his head and slammed the hilt of his sword into her skull. She collapsed in an unconscious heap. Mike's eyes widened in anger. He growled at Isaac and charged. Mike swung at Isaac and punched him in the face. Isaac's head twisted violently but otherwise he made no notion of pain. Isaac then slashed at Mike, who narrowly dodged it.

"I'll kill you, you monster!" Mike said. Isaac simply raised his head, preparing to strike. However, Mike saw something behind Isaac. Mike then kicked Isaac in the chest, knocking him back. Then from behind, Mac kicked him in the back, causing Isaac to fall forward. Isaac's knife slid away from his grasp. As he reached for it, Mike kicked his sides and pinned him down using his knees. He then sent blow after blow to Isaac's face, who had no choice but to take it. However, unknown to Mike, Isaac was in reach of his knife, so he grabbed it and wrenched his arm free to stab Mike is the sides. Mike screamed in agony as Isaac pushed Mike off him.

"Enough of this. I boded my time with that fighting ring for five years. But now it's time for you to die." Mike snarled, the fight wasn't out of him yet. He kicked Isaac's stomach, who fell back into Mac. Mac began to punch and kick anywhere he could on Isaac, but he just seemed to not be able to be hurt. Isaac, who had enough, grabbed Mac by the throat and began choking him. "I killed you once before, I can do it again." Isaac pressed his thumbs onto Mac's windpipe in an attempt to crush it. As Mac's world began to darken, his life flashed before his eyes. He remembered growing up with Mike, creating Bloo for them, sending him to Fosters, everything. Except... these memories were not his own. They belonged to the real Mac. And he was damned to have him die in vein. Mac's vision cleared as determination filled his body. Mac elbowed Isaac, causing him to lose all grip on him. Mac then kicked Isaac away, right into the waiting knife Mike pulled out of his side. The blade punctured Isaac's heart, causing him to let out a grunt and lower his head.

"That..." Mike said. "Was for my brother." Mike twisted the knife, but was shocked to find this did little to Isaac. Isaac shook his head as he slowly looked up to face Mike.

"You fool... I'm not like you." Mike looked in shock at the blood that was flowing from Isaac's wound. It was not normal red blood... but blue. The blood of an imaginary friend. "That's right... You can't kill me that easily-" At that moment, the brothers had enough. Mike shut Isaac up with a swift punch to the jaw, sending him rotating towards Mac, who did the same thing. Isaac was tossed back and forth between the brothers as the dealt devastating blows to Isaac, who could not recover at all. As a final flourish, the brothers put all their strength into the next blow. But just before it connected, Isaac said one thing. "Zach... I failed you..." The crushing force of two fists crushed Isaac's skull, effectively killing him dead. He jerked and twitched for a moment before slumping to the ground in a heap. At the same time, Goo recovered from her blows and looked at the scene in front of her.

"It's over..." She said as she stood up.

"Yea..." Mike said as he groaned. "It's over..." At the same time, the trio saw flashing blue and red lights. Mac and Goo helped Mike to the police, who also came with an ambulance. Ed had freed everyone from under the bus and were getting checked out by the paramedics. An hour later everyone had been treated and cared for. Other than a few cuts and bruises, everyone was fine. As for Mike, he had a few new scars to show off, but would otherwise be fine.

"What happened here?" An officer asked. Everyone present did their best to explain the situation. "I see. Can you show me the body?" Mike and Mac nodded as they escorted the officer to where Isaac's remains were. However, nobody expected what they saw at that moment.


	16. The revilation

_A/N We have come to the end now. I hope you enjoyed and as per usual, I'll see you the first Friday of next month. See you on the sixth!_

**Chapter**** 16: The revilation**

The two boys and the officer stared at the corpse in front of them. Except there was a very, very specific detail about him that answered questions that hasn't even existed until just then. The body in front of them was mostly intact, but was slowly rotting into a goopy blue sludge.

"Heh. So he was imaginary? Interesting how they melt like that-" At that exact moment, Mike's eyes expanded wider than they ever have in his life. He burst though the officer and Mac. The officer was knocked down, but Mac stayed upright and ran after Mike as he sprinted towards... something. Mike rushed past his friends, who looked at him with concern. Once they saw Mac giving chase, they too decided to follow the wayward teen. He ran with purpose. With reason. With intent. It didn't take them long to realize where he was going: the cemetary. Mike had left the others in his dust, but they eventually found him. However, they saw him doing something... quite mortifying. He was unearthing a coffin and was nearly done. The poor boy was working so hard. Sweat coated his clothes and his stitches tore, as evident by the dark red blotches.

"Mike stop! Your stitches! You're bleeding!" Mike ignored Goo's cries and finally hit wood. He tossed the spade aside and dug with his hands the rest of the way.

"Mike, what on Earth are you-" Mac began, but stopped once he saw the name on the tombstone. It was his... He looked at Mike, totally shocked. Once Mike got most of the coffin visible, he grabbed the spade again and began to bash it open. Everyone was standing there, too stunned to stop him. But that paled in comparison to what was in the coffin. Mike was breathing heavily. He leaned down to take a closer look, making sure his eyes weren't just seeing things. His eyes didn't fool him. There was no body in the coffin, only the decayed remains of blue muck. Mike shakily stood up and climbed out of the grave and faced his friends. Nobody spoke, except Mac, who slowly approached Mike. "What... what does this mean...?" He slowly asked. Mike didn't answer. Instead, he stared at Mac and noticed that all throughout the fight, Mac barely got hit. And when he did, he didn't even break his skin. The only answer Mac got was a nasty left hook to the cheek. Mac groaned and stumbled back a bit. He held his sore cheek and glared at Mike. "What the hell, man?!" Mike only stared more at Mac. "...What?" Mike pointed to Mac's hand, which was still caressing his cheek. Mac slowly withdrew his hand and looked at it. He realized what Mike meant now. Five years... Five years he went without bleeding. Astronomical, yes, but possible. Five years ago, Mac sacrificed himself to save his brother. In his final moments, he only thought of his friends and family. They would be alone. They would be sad. Five years ago, Mac imagined a friend to take his place. A carbon copy of himself. Goo never created the imaginary Mac. In fact, Mac created Mac. Except... something happened. Mac's enhanced intelligence allowed him to create a copy of himself right down to the bones. This meant being able to bleed red blood. However... all friends are reducrd to goo apon expiration. There is... one more thing. The friend Mac created? The one he intended to replace him? It had plans of its own. He knew his master well, because he was him. Five years ago, am imaginary Mac sacrafised himself to save his master. To throw him to safety and eventually bring a whole chain of events to occur. Five years later, a boy in a red shirt, chesnut hair, and slacky khakis looked at his hand, which had red blood over it. Everything made sense now. Mac never died... he had been in hiding for five years, not even knowing who he really was. Today... was the day brothers were reunited. Mike held his bleeding sides and reached out to Mac, who began to cry. Hell, everyone was crying. It was a powerful moment. Five hears of depression, sadness, strife and difficulty all lead to this point. Mac reached out to his brother, who truly was his brother. Their hands connected... but then their whole world shattered around them.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Mike slowly awakened with a pounding headache. It was so bad he could hardly see straight or hear. All he saw was a bright light overhead and about half a dozen figures around him. His instincts kicked in and he rolled off what seemed like a table or a reclined chair and back made as much space between him and the figures as possible. He rubbed his eyes and tried to listen. Soon, the pain in his skull went away, his vision focused and he could hear again. He looked up and saw the figures slowly approaching him, holding their hands up in a sign of peace.

"Calm down Mike... deep breaths..." A figure said He recognized the voice. It was Mac.

"M-Mac...?" His vision fully returned and he saw his brother. However, he was surrounded by four girls and another boy. All of whom he did not recognize.

"Yea. It's me. Me and your other brother and sisters."

"...Wut?" Was his only reply. A girl with a crazed look in her eye and some weird mask strapped to her head walked up to him.

"Don't remember? Meh. It'll all come rushing back like a skag to the face." She said with a chuckle.

"S-skag...?"

"You're bleeding." Another girl said. This one was one of two twins.

"Not for long." The other replied. "Look, he's already healing." The twin girls looked so much alike except for their shirts. One was purple and blue stripped and the other was green and yellow.

"H-healing?" Mike looked down at his wounds and groaned. He was still bleeding bad but... something in him knew what to do. He clenched his fist in effort and hissed in slight pain. His wounds closed before his eyes. As he stared astonished, the other sister and boy looked at him.

"Mike. Take your time. try to remember." The girl said. She was in a brightly colored dress and seemed to have a... wand? She noticed Mike's ripped clothes and waived her wand to repair them. It turned his clothes pink and purple though.

"Well, with Mac back this shouldn't happen again. He knows how to work it." Mike was so confused but... after a moment, he started to remember.

"Brothers... sisters... Tina, Frisk, Chara, Star and Marco. But..." Mike looked around. "Where is...?"

"That's the thing Mike." Mac said. Mike looked at him, who had a determined smirk on his face. "We need to get him back." Mac snapped his fingers and a strange portal opened behind him. "We know exactly where he is." Mike looked at the visage of the portal and saw a fantastical land full of candy and ice and most importantly... adventure.


End file.
